1 mash 2 boils?

[chordwizard]

I have 2 boil kettles now and want to start doing split batches. I'm hoping to do a 6gal batch split into 2 3gal carboys. I mash in a cooler and batch sparge and have an 8 and a 10gal kettle. I'm curious the different methods people use to be sure that the first and second runnings are properly amalgamated and then equally split between the 2 kettles.

 

[aeviaanah]

Steeping specialty grains separately for one recipe and along with using different yeasts and dry hops gives me plenty of flexibility to combine the batches in the boil.

 

[Jtk78]

I've done this 3 times. First time I made a blonde ale and an American amber, 2nd time was 2 different wheat bears, and the last time was a NEIPA and a nut brown. As mentioned above, steeping some specialty grains, using 2 different yeasts and different hops work well.

As far as splitting the wort there are a few ways to handle it. Some use the first runnings for a strong beer, and the latter runnings for a weaker beer, or partigyle.

When I do it I prefer to have two beers with closer og. I'm pulling just about 14 gallons of wort to net two 5.5 gallon batches. I have to use a bucket to help split things up, but if your doing smaller batches, the 10 gallon pot should hold all the wort you need. Get your full volume in 10 gallon pot, mix it gently to get it homogenized, and split the volume to you 8 gallon kettle. If you have 2 burners, you could stagger the boil. If not start the second as soon as the first come off.

I think it adds about an hour or so to my day because I stagger them, but I'm doubling my output. Just make sure your cleaning between steps.

 

[EarthwormJim]

Put a Y or T connection on the hose coming out of the mash tun and fill both kettles at the same time for each run off. If the kettles are on the same suface and you keep the ends of the hoses submerged in the kettles the level of wort in each will stay the same in each. As long as the kettles are the same diameter, they will have equal volumes from each run off.

 

[kh54s10]

Put a Y or T connection on the hose coming out of the mash tun and fill both kettles at the same time for each run off. If the kettles are on the same suface and you keep the ends of the hoses submerged in the kettles the level of wort in each will stay the same in each. As long as the kettles are the same diameter, they will have equal volumes from each run off.

If the wort drains to each side at the same rate, the diameter of the pot has no effect at all. You could drain half to a 20' wide pot and it would be the same amount if the other side was a 3" wide tube.

 

[EarthwormJim]

If the wort drains to each side at the same rate, the diameter of the pot has no effect at all. You could drain half to a 20' wide pot and it would be the same amount if the other side was a 3" wide tube.

The way I suggested, with the ends of the hoses submerged, the level/height of the wort in the pots would be the same in each. The hose between them will act as a siphon and keep the level equal. If the pot diameters are different and the height is the same, the volume in each will be different.

The wort coming out of the tun will not flow to each pot at the same rate. It will flow faster to the pot with the larger diameter since that will take more wort to raise the level an equal amout than in the smaller diameter pot.

The rate of flow to each should should be proprtional and constant though so the end result should be the same gravity in each pot. As long as the larger diameter pot can hold its share plus the difference, you should be able to stir it up and transfer the needed amount to the other pot. If the diameters are close enough I would just live with one having a little more wort.

You could keep the ends of the hoses out of the wort and control the flow to each pot. You would probably need a couple of valves or a way to pinch the hoses.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I would probably run the whole thing off into the 10 gallon kettle. It should be big enough to accommodate your whole preboil volume if your total batch size is only 6 gallons. Then give it a good stir before pouring off the other batch into the 8 gallon kettle.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I am curious as to what you are trying to accomplish. I presume you want to be able to hop each batch differently during the boil? For example, to return a 30 IBU pale ale and a 60+ IBU IPA?

One thing I would consider is using the 10g kettle and doing the split post-boil. You can vary the yeast, dry-hop, and fermentation temp

I would probably run the whole thing off into the 10 gallon kettle. It should be big enough to accommodate your whole preboil volume if your total batch size is only 6 gallons. Then give it a good stir before pouring off the other batch into the 8 gallon kettle.

This idea makes the most sense to me. You can mix almost 10g in a 10g pot, give it a stir, then transfer the "B" batch to the other kettle.

Other options would be getting a large enough container collect and mix all the runnings - a cheap rubbermaid tub should work fine. Or look to find a used keggle on Craigslist.

 

[EarthwormJim]

I would probably run the whole thing off into the 10 gallon kettle. It should be big enough to accommodate your whole preboil volume if your total batch size is only 6 gallons. Then give it a good stir before pouring off the other batch into the 8 gallon kettle.

Do this.

I read the first post twice and didn't see that volumes of the kettles were given. Sorry for over complicating the issue.

 

[chordwizard]

Running it all into the larger pot makes the most sense to me as well right now. I may try using a tee when I get my pump up and running. Having no real understanding of fluid dynamics I have learned that when splitting batches going into two fermentors that if I keep the tee level and the hoses the same length that I will be really close to the same volume in each.
If there are other approaches to splitting the wort keep the ideas flowing.
Thanks all!